Thousands of commuters' budgets will be impacted as of April 1st by increased tolls for travelers using the Pune-Satara and Pune-Nashik highways.
Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have announced that tolls on all national highways, including those that travel through Pune district, will rise by 2.5 percent.
According to the National Highways Fee (setting of rates and collection) Rules, 2008, the toll increase occurs annually.
Traffic on the Pune-Satara highway, which is an important route linking two major cities in Maharashtra, is heavy every day. The routes entrances are key toll booths at Shivapur and Anewadi villages.
At these checkpoints, light cars used to pay a toll of ₹115. However, the fee for light vehicles would increase to ₹120 due to the upcoming toll hike.
Similarly, busses and trucks, which make up a major amount of traffic on the route, would now have to pay ₹390 at the Khed-Shivapur toll booth instead of the previous amount of ₹290.
Furthermore, there will be an increased toll for large cars passing via the Khed-Shivapur toll booth. Heavy vehicles will now pay a toll of ₹630 instead of the previous ₹615, a significant rise that would probably affect logistics and transportation costs for firms who depend on the road.
Heavy traffic is also seen on the Pune-Nashik highway, which is an essential route for transit in Maharashtra and provides a lifeline for commuters and cargo movement between the two cities.
Similar toll increases will apply to the toll booths along this route located at Chalkewadi and Hivargaon. The fee for drivers of motorbikes, jeeps, and light vehicles has increased from ₹105 to ₹110, which will be an extra expense for those who frequently use this corridor.
Moreover, a ₹ 370 toll would be applied for trucks and buses traveling one way, which could have a financial impact on companies that transport goods.
Pune resident Rahul Mane stated, "Any increase in the toll price will have an impact on all services." On the one hand, fuel costs have been above ₹100 for almost five years. In addition, the toll fees that we will incur are rising annually. As a result, the cost of transportation is rising.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar stated, "We filed a case against toll in court in 2017, but nothing has been done yet." In accordance with the deal, the government raises the toll price annually. The government explains why inflation occurred. There is nothing else that commuters can do but pay a toll.
The major challenge of striking a balance between improving roads and toll rises is brought to light, according to NHAI officials. While they fight to improve infrastructure and roadways, they want to ensure that toll laws are equitable for all parties involved.
According to NHAI officials, the number of cars that pass through the toll booths is how they gauge traffic. Every day, over 60,000 cars pass through the Anewadi toll booth and about 65,000 cars pass through the Khed-Shivapur toll booth.
Over extended weekends, the figure rises even more. During this extended weekend, between 80,000 and 85,000 cars a day traveled through the Khed-Shivapur and Anewadi toll booths, according to an official from the NHAI division in Pune.
